Door-fastener



0. HUFFMAN.

DOOR FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. 1920.

1,387,71 9. Patented Aug. 16, 1921'.

UNITED S'lATES OSCAR HUFFMAN, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO.

DOOR-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application filed September 2, 1920. Serial No. 407,803.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR HUFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, and residing in Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to door fasteners, but more particularly to a catch or fastener intended to be used in connection with screen doors.

The fastener comprises a resilient receiving member which cooperates with a stud upon the door, the resilient member being adapted to frictionally engage the stud on the door to retain the door in closed position by frictional engagement between the resilient member and the stud to prevent the rebounding of the door when the same is shut.

Cooperating with this frictional catch or holder is a latch member which may be rotated to engage with a portion of the resilient member to lock the door in closed position.

The door fastener is particularly adapted for screen doors which are usually hung upon spring hinges and are constantly being slammed shut, and thereby rebounding and usually remaining in a partly open position because of the rebounding of the door. By the employment of my invention, when the door is forcibly closed by the spring hinges, the same is retained in closed position but may be readily reopened by slight pressure thereon, the force required being no more than the force usually required to open the screen door. The invention further embodies means to secure the door in closed position by the latch which is operatable from on either side of the door.

Various other advantages of my invention will be made more apparent in the specification and drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a screen door equipped with my improved latch;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the portion of a door and door frame with my invention attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on lines 3-3 on Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 isan enlarged front elevation of the locking device with the door closed and the latch in locked position, and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on lines 55 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the letter D indicates a door of any ordinary construction, here shown as a screen door, and F the frame of the doorway upon which the door D is mounted by spring hinges H. J indicates the usual door jamb into which the door fits.

My improved fastener is formed in two parts, one part being secured to the jamb J of the doorway frame, and the other part being carried by the door D.

I will now describe the portion of the door catch which is positioned upon the jamb of the doorway frame. This comprises a base plate 10 upon which is mounted a resilient catch 11. This catch is formed of a substantially double U-shape and comprises two securing arms 12 provided with eyes 13 at their free ends by means of which this resilient catch member is secured to the plate 10. The other ends of the arms 12 are bent to form the resilient receiving portion 14 for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described.

The edge of the door D is cut away at 15 and this cut-away portion is housed by a metal housing 16 which is of substantially U-shape in cross section. This housing 16 is provided on its side faces with vertically disposed elongated openings 17. These openings 17 are oppositely disposed to allow the resilient catch member which is secured to the door jamb to pass therethrough, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 3.

Arranged transversely of the housing is a stud 18. This stud preferably passes through the outer side of the housing 16 and across the cut-away portion 15 in the door, and is secured in the door. This is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5.

The latch member comprises a transversely disposed spindle 19 rotatably supported by the housing 16, which spindle is provided with knobs 20. A hook, or engaging member, 21 is rigidly secured to said spindle and rotates therewith. This engaging member is supported upon the spindle 19 in such a position that it will lie immediately adjacent the outer side of the housing 16.

It is obvious, therefore, that when the door D is closed the resilient member 11, carried by the jamb J, will be projected into the housing 16, and in this position the resilient receiving portion 14 of this member will straddlethe stud 18 carried by the housing. By reason of the nature of this member 11 and its resilient engagement with the stud 18, the door D will be retained in its closed position and thereby be prevented from rebounding. In its closed position the loop ends 22 of the resilient member will project through the housing, and in this position the lower one may be engaged by the hook engaging member 21 when either of the knobs 20 are rotated to bring this hook engaging member 21 into operative position. This position of the hook engaging member is clearly indicated in Fig. 4. By reason of its engagement therewith the door is locked and the knob must be operated to release the hook 21 before the door may be again opened.

Various modifications may be made in this specific construction without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I particularly reserve this right.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a looped resilient member permanently positioned on a door jamb and embodying a resilient receiving portion, a door and a latch mechanism upon said door, said latch mechanism being formed with alined openings through which said resilient member projects, a stud carried by said latch mechanism which cooperates with said looped resilient member to frictionally retain the door in closed position, and means for aositivel en a in a oro'ectinn' end of l. 5) 3 C) c:

said resilient member, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described comprising a door frame and jamb, a looped resilient member mounted upon said jamb, a door hingedly supported upon said frame,

a latch mechanism supported uponsaid door, said latch mechanism being provided wlth a passage-way for the reception of said looped resilient member, a stud carried by said latch apertures for the reception of the resilient member, a stud disposed in said housing in position to be straddled by the resilient receiving portion of said resilient member, substantially as and for the purpose 'set forth. I I

4. In a device ofothe class described, a door-frame and jamb, .a door rigidly mounted upon said ,frame,va'resilient retaining member mounted upon said jamb, said resilient member being provided with a resilient receiving portion, one portion of the edge of said door being cut away, a housing inclosing said cut-away portion, said housing being provided with oppositely disposed apertures for the reception of the resilient member, a stud disposed in said housing in position to be straddled by the resilient receiving portion of said resilient member, a rotatable latch member adapted to engage the loop end of said resilient member and to secure the door in locked position, substantially as described.

OSCAR HUFFMAN. 

